Wildlife: Smuggling

(asked on 26th November 2014) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress the National Crime Agency is making on preventing illegal wildlife trade over the internet.


Answered by
Karen Bradley Portrait
Karen Bradley
This question was answered on 2nd December 2014

The National Wildlife Crime Unit, housed in Hampshire Police leads the UK
efforts to tackle wildlife crime. Since 2010, and over the current spending
review period, the Government has committed an additional £544,000 of specific
funding for the Unit.

The National Crime Agency focuses on the relentless disruption of serious and
organised criminals and those that present the highest risk to the UK and its
communities. Where high risk organised criminals are engaged in illegal
wildlife trade the NCA will lead, support or coordinate an appropriate level of
response. That response could include the NCA’s niche capabilities such as the
National Cyber Crime Unit or its global network of liaison officers.

Border Force also actively contributes to the UK’s multi-agency approach to
tackling wildlife crime involving the international trade in endangered species
and their derivatives. At an operational level the Border Force CITES team work
with Government agencies including the National Wildlife Crime Unit and NCA to
target illegal wildlife traffickers. The team also deliver training for NCA
Officers, the police and many international law enforcement agencies. Through
partnership working a number of successful prosecutions have taken place
including for ivory and hard coral smuggling. Since 2010 the number of customs
seizures made by Border Force of animals, plants or their derivatives that are
prohibited or restricted under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) have increased from 386 to 501 in 2013/14.

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